It is well known that "bubble" films, laminates, and packaging, i.e. film or film combinations where air or another gas is entrapped at regular intervals between two or more sheets of film, are useful in certain packaging applications. These bubble constructions are sometimes referred to as air-cushioning materials. These constructions are particularly useful where shock absorbance, softness, or physical or thermal insulation is required.
Many patents have issued in this general technology.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,669 (Caputo) discloses an apparatus and method for producing air-cushioning material in which a first film is heated and thermoformed on a cooled roll with cavities formed therein, and a second film is heated on a heated roll and heat-sealed to the first film.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,516 (Caputo) discloses a forming roller useful as the cooled roller for thermoforming a first film as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,669.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,699 (Lewicki et al) discloses a method of making inflatable cellular assemblies of plastic material which includes the use of multiple sheets of material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,398 (Ottaviano) discloses air cell cushioning dunnage formed from two sheets of flexible plastic material, one of the sheets having been embossed to define cells with entrapped air.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,508,992 (Chavannes) discloses a method for making cellular material using multiply laminates with at least one of the laminates embossed prior to sealing the laminates together.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,599 (Chavannes) discloses a method for making laminated cushioning material, and sealed elements in hemispherical form.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,898 (Chavannes et al) discloses an embossed, laminated article having an embossed or molded plastic layer, a sealing layer, a plurality of cells, and a second sealing layer sealed to the top of the cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,793 (Chavannes) discloses an embossed cushioning material made by joining two films of plastic together, one of the films being embossed in a hemispherical shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,565 (Fielding) discloses a first sheet sealed to a second embossed sheet to form a plurality of hermetically sealed cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,616,155 (Chavannes) discloses a cellular product formed of multiply laminates wherein at least one of the laminates is embossed and the other laminate seals the embossment. Each laminate has a plastic base and a gas-impervious coating.
Canadian Patent No. 1,191,437 (Ottaviano) discloses a cushioning dunnage material of a first single stratum film, embossed to form air cells therein, and a second film adhered to the first film.
Canadian Patent No. 1,186,204 (Ottaviano) discloses a cushioning dunnage material of a first multilayer film, embossed to form air cells therein, and a second film adhered to the first film. Great Britain Patent No. 908,579 discloses a laminated multi-cellular sheet packaging material made by embossing a first web on an embossing drum, and adhering a second web to the first web.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,548 (Weingarten) discloses a three-layer laminated plastic cushioning material having a flat central layer with sealed air pockets on both sides of the central layer.